as in tale
a traditional description of imaginary events circulated orally among a people
West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of folktale
The story centered on a young Palestinian man living in Jerusalem who must save his family after a Ghouleh, a female demon from his grandmother’s folktales, arrive in his town and threatens his home.
—
Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Oliver Park’s directorial debut is based on the Jewish folktale about the female demon Abyzou, which (believe it or not) happens to be perfect fodder for a horror film set at a Hasidic funeral home in Brooklyn.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Freudians and evolutionary psychologists trawled folktales for evidence to shore up their theories.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Later, the look became incorporated in folktales as the attire of grim reapers.
—Claire Wang, NBC news, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Oliver Park’s directorial debut is based on the Jewish folktale about the female demon Abyzou, which (believe it or not) happens to be perfect fodder for a horror film set at a Hasidic funeral home in Brooklyn.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Freudians and evolutionary psychologists trawled folktales for evidence to shore up their theories.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Later, the look became incorporated in folktales as the attire of grim reapers.
—Claire Wang, NBC news, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folktale
Noun
-
For a cautionary tale, look no further than Kraft Heinz, formed by a mega-merger in 2015.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The series, the tale of a wealthy family forced to start from scratch in the middle-of-nowhere town of the title, amassed a cult following during the pandemic.—
Meriam Bouarrouj,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Softball legend Jennie Finch pitched five seasons for the original Bandits, starting with their 2005 debut.—
Ryan Baker,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond the famous spaceships, X-Wing and TIE Fighter also brought compelling stories set in the Star Wars universe, alongside technical advancements like fully 3D graphics in place of the bitmap sprites of previous titles.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Ludwig wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news on Thursday.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Emily Mendenhall traces the medical myths, gender bias, and neurological truths behind hysteria, one of history’s most damaging diagnoses.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The myth is that constant availability is productive when the data suggests otherwise.—
Dilan Gomih,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Washington — Federal Reserve officials convene this week at a pivotal moment in the US central bank’s 112-year history, with a series of historic events putting a spotlight on their ability to set interest rates without political interference.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This is the moment history will ask about.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Actually looking for the romance category as a category that’s been underrepresented, both in streaming and just kind of broadly in our eyes.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Yet in Season 3 of the show, Theo didn’t appear at all, suggesting that Eloise’s romance in the show may go back to following the books.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folktale. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
